Southern California -- this just in

17-year-old shot outside Whittier school dies

March 26, 2012 | 3:14
pm

A 17-year-old boy who was shot outside a Whittier continuation school Monday afternoon has been pronounced dead, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.

The teenager was shot about noon at the corner of Painter Avenue and Mulberry Drive, diagonally across from the school. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

No suspects were in custody. Frontier High School and district offices were on lockdown while authorities searched for the gunman.

Whittier Unified School District officials said in a statement that the victim was not a student.

A sheriff’s sergeant said early radio calls said the victim had been shot in the head. Sgt. Greg Arnold said a group of suspects ran in different directions after the shooting.